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AP Top 25 college basketball rankings and takeaways going into Week 17 including Kansas’ return to the top of the pack.

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It’s Leap Day, which means March is (almost) upon us, friends.

And as is the theme with this entire college basketball season, the madness has certainly arrived early.

This past week, Villanova, Virginia, Oklahoma, Xavier, North Carolina, Iowa, Arizona, Maryland, Louisville, Duke, Kentucky, Iowa State, Baylor, Purdue, and Notre Dame all lost at least one game.

No one – absolutely no one – is safe. And it’s awesome.

1. Kansas (25-4)
2. Michigan State (24-5)
3. Villanova (25-4)
4. Virginia (22-6)
5. Xavier (25-4)
6. Oklahoma (22-6)
7. Miami (23-5)
8. North Carolina (23-6)
9. Oregon (23-6)
10. West Virginia (22-7)
11. Louisville (22-7)
12. Indiana (23-7)
13. Utah (23-7)
14. Maryland (23-6)
15.Purdue (22-7)
16. Iowa (20-8)
17. Duke (21-8)
18. Arizona (22-7)
19. Baylor (21-8)
20. Texas A&M (22-7)
21. Iowa State (20-9)
22. Kentucky (21-8)
23. Texas (19-10)

24. SMU (24-4)

25. Cal (21-8)

Everyone please stand and give a thunderous round of applause to the Miami Hurricanes. Angel Rodriguez and Sheldon McClellan have been superb all season long, but with consecutive wins over then-No. 3 Virginia and No. 11 Louisville, the senior tandem is truly elevating this squad to new heights.

The Canes are peaking at the perfect time. Are they in line for their second ACC Tournament crown? It sure looks that way at the moment, but given how many incredible teams populate the ACC, it’s anyone’s guess at this point.

The Big Ten, on the other hand, seems to have two emerging frontrunners as the regular season comes to a close. Indiana and Michigan State sit atop the conference, and it’s for good reason.

The Hoosiers just picked up a hefty win over Purdue, while Sparty has strung together four consecutive wins in the Big Ten.

Then there’s Iowa, who was ranked in the top five just two weeks ago. But after consecutive losses to Penn State, Wisconsin and Ohio State, the Hawkeyes are left scratching their heads. Jared Uthoff and Peter Jok shot a measly 36 percent and 31 percent from the floor in the loss to Ohio State, respectively.

It wasn’t long ago the experts were pegging Iowa to make the Final Four. While that’s still a possibility, it’s becoming fair to ponder if the Hawkeyes will even make it to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.

A team seemingly destined for the second weekend, however, is Cal. The Golden Bears have quietly operated as one of the best teams in the country after having won seven games in a row in the Pac-12, including impressive wins over Oregon, Washington and USC.

Jaylen Brown, averaging nearly 16 points per game, has been one of the most phenomenal freshmen in the country and does not receive nearly the amount of recognition he deserves. He, along with Tyrone Wallace and Ivan Rabb, form a strong core able to compete with anyone.

It’s refreshing to see Cal getting some love from the AP voters. Don’t count the Golden Bears out as a dark horse candidate to steal the Pac-12 crown from the likes of Arizona and Oregon.

And now, with our final week of regular season play up ahead, let’s pretend our calendars are coloring books and mark some important dates down.

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Kansas vs Texas, Monday

A lot of people were bearish on the Longhorns after Shaka Smart’s squad got dismantled by the Baylor Bears on their home floor and squeezed out a one-point victory over Kansas State.

But Texas followed up those discouraging outputs by handling then-No. 3 Oklahoma en route to a 76-63 win. The Longhorns closed out the game on a 25-5 run and had five players score in double figures.

But can they do it again? Texas’ seeding in the tournament has already received a significant boost after the beatdown it put on the Sooners, but consecutive wins against Oklahoma and Kansas could be enough to bump the Longhorns up to a 3-seed.

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Vanderbilt vs Texas A&M, Saturday

If you like roller coaster seasons, then you’re a big fan of the Commodores and Aggies.

After consistently failing to live up to some lofty preseason expectations, Vanderbilt seems to finally be peaking at the right time, stringing together some impressive wins in the SEC. That includes a nail-biting victory over then-No. 14 Kentucky.

Texas A&M, meanwhile, defied all expectations by forcing its way into the national conversation after virtually zero hype in the preseason. The Aggies suffered a dip in conference play with four consecutive losses, but they have since recovered and seem to be back to their full potential.

So, with both up-and-down teams peaking at the right time, who has the upper hand for Saturday?

It’s bound to be an even match, but the slight edge will go to Vandy here.

Damian Jones was remarkably close to posting double-doubles in each of his last five games. He’s been on another level lately, and while the Aggies certainly have the talent and firepower to walk away with the W, the extraordinary hustle from Jones and support from the remaining cast should be enough to put the Commodores over the top.

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North Carolina vs Duke, Saturday

Could there be any better way to close out the regular season?

What is already the best rivalry in college basketball will now be amplified thanks to the wild Tobacco Road showdown from two weeks ago. The Tar Heels are going to be rabid after losing on their home floor in such epic fashion, so it’s a safe bet they’ll come out with amped intensity in Durham, N.C.

But in all honesty, what else needs to be said about this game? Two of the best teams in the country will square off in what’s bound to be a marvelous rematch to close out the regular season before all of the conference tournaments begin. 

This is what college hoops is all about. This game will be fun, it will be frantic, and it will be really, really loud. Let’s all enjoy it and bask in what is bound to be a March rightly filled with madness.

MORE: Bracketology – Projecting NCAA Tournament Field Of 68, Week 17